‘Top kill’ effort succeeds in blocking oil leak, Coast Guard admiral says  —  Thad Allen, who is coordinating the government response, says the well still has low pressure, but cement will be used to cap the well permanently as soon as the pressure hits zero.

MMS director resigns amid criticism  —  The head of the Minerals and Management Services (MMS) has resigned.  —  MMS, which is charged with monitoring and regulating offshore drilling, has come under intense criticism since the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico.

Palin neighbor sought author as tenant  —  Sarah Palin's next-door neighbor sought out author Joe McGinniss as a tenant, McGinniss's son said.  —  “No one is stalking anyone,” Joe McGinniss, Jr., a novelist whose father is the non-fiction writer, wrote in response to an email from a Palin supporter …

Justice Scalia Praises Elena Kagan's Lack of Judicial Experience  —  ABC News' Teddy Davis reports:  —  Obama Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan has been criticized by some Republican senators for lacking judicial experience.  But Justice Antonin Scalia, the High Court's most outspoken conservative …

Rove Finally Admits That Bush Really Blew It During Katrina  —  Today in the Wall Street Journal, Karl Rove pens an op-ed titled: “Yes, the Gulf Spill is Obama's Katrina.”  He predictably places blame on Obama for a “lethargic,” “slow,” and “unacceptable” response to the BP oil spill.

Mullen: Proposed Legislation Retains Prerogative  —  The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said yesterday that he's comfortable with proposed legislation that seeks to repeal the law that bans gay men and lesbians from serving openly in the military because it includes “very clear language” …

BP Used Riskier Method to Seal Oil Well Before Blast  —  WASHINGTON — Several days before the explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, BP officials chose, partly for financial reasons, to use a type of casing for the well that the company knew was the riskier of two options, according to a BP document.

US money supply plunges at 1930s pace as Obama eyes fresh stimulus  —  The M3 money supply in the United States is contracting at an accelerating rate that now matches the average decline seen from 1929 to 1933, despite near zero interest rates and the biggest fiscal blitz in history.

Easy Money, Hard Truths  —  ARE you worried that we are passing our debt on to future generations?  Well, you need not worry.  —  Before this recession it appeared that absent action, the government's long-term commitments would become a problem in a few decades.

Witnesses, Evidence Mounting Against Haley  —  For a campaign employee she claims to have barely known, S.C. Rep. Nikki Haley certainly paid plenty of late night visits to our founding editor's town house in early 2007.  —  In fact, multiple witnesses are coming forward …

Counterterror Adviser Defends Jihad as ‘Legitimate Tenet of Islam’  —  White House counterterrorism adviser John Brennan speaks to reporters in the White House Jan. 7.  (AP Photo)  —  The president's top counterterrorism adviser on Wednesday called jihad a “legitimate tenet of Islam,” …

Election 2010: Wisconsin Senate  —  Wisconsin Senate: Feingold 46%, Johnson 44%  —  Businessman Ron Johnson, endorsed at last weekend's state Republican Convention, is now running virtually even against incumbent Democrat Russ Feingold in Wisconsin's race for the U.S. Senate.

A global peace-building strategy  —  The National Security Strategy Report, released today by the Obama administration, is a good step on the road to rethinking America's strategic narrative.  —  Its impact should be amplified and integrated with lessons learned in conflict management to advance the whole-of-government approach.

Here comes impeachment  —  What's at stake in the elections this fall?  Energy/climate?  Tax cuts?  Management of the economy?  —  Well, sure, all those things.  It's worth pointing out, however, that what's also at stake is the impeachment of Barack Obama.

Lieberman open to backing McMahon  —  Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) said Thursday he's open to supporting Republican Linda McMahon over Democrat Richard Blumenthal in the Connecticut Senate race, a move that would once again infuriate Democrats in his home state and in Washington.

May House Update  —  GOP Gains Likely, Majority Uncertain  —  Like many beleaguered sports fans, as the calendar turned to 2010, Republicans across the country were conjuring up the same thought: “This is the year!”  After disastrous House elections in 2006 and 2008, Republicans dropped …

Breaking: Senate Candidate Mickey Kaus Debates Boxer  —  I will post a full account of my brother Mickey's debate with Barbara Boxer, who failed to appear and was replaced by a cardboard facsimile, after I have finished having dinner with the candidate, or maybe tomorrow.